NFL Player News

Matt Nagy mentioned yesterday that the workload for Pacheco and Kareem Hunt will be determined “in-game,” a bit that seemed to be pointing towards the possibility of a committee. Pacheco should probably be managed more like an RB2/RB3 for the moment in fantasy leagues, at least for his first week coming off the injury. The Raiders remain the exact kind of team that you’d want to fire up a running back against, so don’t shy away completely.

Allen, 30, who missed most of the 2024 regular season with a pectoral injury, is signed through the 2025 season and would count as a $22.5 million cap hit this coming season. Allen could land a short-term deal with a team in need of a better interior presence, though it remains to be seen how many teams might be interested in acquiring Allen. Allen had 36 tackles of a loss from 2021-2023, and was off to a hot start in 2024 before suffering his season-ending injury.

It’s exactly the kind of thing you would expect from a team playing hardball with their starting quarterback. The Rams last week granted Stafford permission to speak with other teams and try to work out a trade this offseason. Stafford, 37, who struggled at times over the past two seasons in LA, has two years remaining on his deal with the Rams. He has been linked to the Giants in trade talks over the past couple weeks as the Rams hedge on bringing back Stafford for a sixth season in LA. While Garoppolo would be in the mix to start for the Rams if Stafford leaves, he would certainly see competition in training camp. Garoppolo had 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in his lone start of 2024, a Week 18 loss to Seattle.

It’s the second year in a row that a team has filed a motion to ban the tush push, this time questioning whether or not it constitutes “a viable football play.” No action has yet to be taken to preclude teams from the play. While Schefter did not cite a team as responsible for the proposal, another source indicated it was the Packers heading the charge on a potential rules change.

Raanan adds, though, that “that would not necessarily keep the team from targeting a more experienced option” at quarterback. Sanders has been tied to the Giants for months, which is how things go when you start 2-12 and wander through a fruitless end of the regular season. It is certainly plausible that the Giants target using the No. 3 pick on Sanders. The tone of the article leads us to understand that this is more of an open idea. But multiple sources telling a New York beat writer that the Giants have their sights on Sanders is eye-catching if nothing else.

Desai spent last season with the Rams as a senior defensive assistant after previously serving as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. A seasoned coach who also served as the Bears’ defensive coordinator (2021), Desai brings a wealth of experience to a coaching staff that recently brought on Al Golden to replace Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator.

Viewed by many as the top pass rusher in this year’s draft, Carter will still meet with teams and participate in all physical exams at the combine. The Penn State product won’t be working out due to a shoulder injury he suffered in a game last season against Boise State, but has reportedly already been cleared by his doctor to resume training. With Penn State’s pro day set for March 28, Carter will now set his sights to prepping for said pro day, where he is expected to go through drills in front of scouts and coaches.

Judon played on 655 snaps last season and was healthy for all 17 games. That’s the good news. The bad news is his 5.5 sacks were his fewest in any healthy season since his rookie season in 2016. JJudon will be 32 at the start of next season and decided to bet on himself last season even after being traded from the Patriots to the Falcons. It’s fair to say things didn’t go as planned for Judon, who should still have suitors this offseason, even if it’s not with Atlanta. As a veteran pass rusher, Judon could benefit from playing on select passing downs rather than playing a full-time role.

To be specific, DeFabo writes “if the Steelers think they can simply have Pickens play out his final season, they might need to realize that they aren’t the only ones who determine where things go from here.” DeFabo has already written before this offseason about how the Steelers should trade Pickens, but the idea of Pickens potentially holding in is new. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie deal and, like the Brandon Aiyuk saga this past August, it probably makes sense for Pickens to pull every lever to get an extension before playing in 2025. We don’t consider this a major wart on Pickens’ fantasy value just yet, but it is something to keep an eye on.

Hughlett joined the Browns in 2014 and spent the next 11 seasons snapping his way into the hearts of Cleveland. Now, after 152 games, Hughlett will need to find a new home in 2025 if he hopes to continue living the dream as an American football long snapper.

The supporting evidence offered by Alexander is that Diggs has wanted to test 2025 free agency since he was traded — something that probably sounded a lot better to Diggs before he tore his ACL at midseason. Alexander also notes that Diggs is already set to count $16.2 million in dead money against the Texans cap. Houston could have folded some of that void year money into a new contract for Diggs before it officially hit the cap ledger on February 17th. Whether it is Diggs or not, the Texans will definitely need a new plan at WR2 this year with Tank Dell set to miss the majority or, perhaps, all of the season after his devastating knee injury in Week 16.